You're likely familiar with the work of today's guest: literary agent Elisabeth Weed, of the boutique literary agency The Book Group. Elisabeth has had a hand in bringing you many recent popular titles, and today she and Anne talking about the current literary landscape. From the trends Elisabeth is seeing (and what they mean for readers and writers) to how TikTok continues to influence the book trade, they cover a lot of ground in today's conversation. Elisabeth also shares her predictions for ...
Jan 09, 2024•45 min
Last year, we had so much fun putting together an episode featuring Anne's favorite reads, and it was a listener favorite, too! We're back today with the 2023 edition: Anne is again joined by her husband and show producer Will Bogel to talk all about her reading superlatives from last year. Choosing the best books from a full year of reading is tough as well as fascinating, and today Anne shares her own best, favorite, and most memorable reading experiences of 2023. She'll also take you along in...
Jan 02, 2024•57 min•Ep. 412
Today, Anne is joined by Kim Hewlett to talk about creating a year of seasonal reading. Kim and her family relocated to Iowa a few years back, which led Kim to realize just how much she enjoys pairing books with the seasons. Kim's set a 2024 reading goal to reach for the right books at just the right time, no matter the time of year. Kim's name may sound familiar: last fall Anne spoke with her daughter Noa in Episode 347: A reader's guide to tricky transitions. Today, Kim's excited to talk with ...
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 411
We all know that travel and reading go really well together. Today's guest, Dana Prescott, is looking for books to help prepare for her upcoming bucket list trip: she and her husband are taking ten weeks to travel to Australia and Southeast Asia next spring. Dana loves to travel, and she'll often learn more about her destinations beforehand by reading books that represent the countries in question. We got doubly excited about Dana's project here at What Should I Read Next? because not only does ...
Dec 12, 2023•59 min•Ep. 410
Our guest today may be familiar to many of you: Ariel Lawhon was one of Anne's early guests, back in Episode 15, and Anne recently recommended Ariel's new book The Frozen River in Episode 393. Today, Ariel is joining Anne to talk about books and publishing, from Ariel's new release, to the unexpected way her books have aligned with the literary Zeitgeist. They also explore why some stories stay with you long after you finish them, and discuss their mutual love for seasoned female protagonists. A...
Dec 05, 2023•52 min•Ep. 409
We love a creative reading project, so when Allison Virtue told us about her global reading project, we couldn’t wait to hear more. Allison lives in Los Angeles, where she's set a goal to read a book written by an author from every country. We've had unique reading projects like Allison's on the show in the past: you may recall Episode 168: A century of good books (in a single year). When it comes to Allison's goal of reading around the world, she’s made good headway so far but she’d appreciate ...
Nov 28, 2023•59 min•Ep. 408
Today's guest loves to read, but she also loves to knit: how can she find the books to hold her attention so she's not tempted to pick up her knitting needles? Patty Brown lives in Bend, Oregon, where she enjoys outdoor activities like cycling, as well as indoor activities like knitting. She's been a reader in the past, but lately she's struggled to find the books she'll find too compelling to put down. In fact, it's been such a long time since Patty felt connected to her reading life, that when...
Nov 21, 2023•50 min•Ep. 407
Each year, we recommend books for the readers on your holiday season gift list. While it's become one of our favorite annual traditions, this year we're putting a fresh spin on it: for the first time, our team members are joining Anne to offer their gifting recommendations. Over the past few weeks, we've collected listener requests for book recommendations for everyone from young kids to elders, and today's episode is full of so many fantastic recommendations. Even if you didn't send in a questi...
Nov 14, 2023•59 min•Ep. 406
If you enjoy your fall reading with a dose of magic, villainy, and self-discovery, you're not alone. For today's guest, fall reading is all about the vibes. Grace lives in South Carolina, and while her fall reading agenda includes books with a darker twist or magical flair, she also gets that fall-reading feeling from titles that feature thoughtful plots and introspective characters. Anne and Grace talk about the types of titles Grace might especially enjoy this season, with an emphasis on audio...
Nov 07, 2023•57 min•Ep. 405
Knowing what you enjoy on the page can feel simple, but finding new books to deliver that reading experience isn't always so easy. In today's episode, Anne is talking with Katherine Kwong. Katherine lives in Nashville, where she enjoys reading along with an assortment of other creative hobbies. While she knows that she enjoys fantastical stories and satisfying endings, she's eager to find new ways to understand her reading selections. Katherine would love to identify authors she can return to ag...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 404
A devoted nonfiction reader is struggling to find her way in the fiction section, and Anne is here to help. Amye Day Ong, who lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and young children, knows how to find the nonfiction titles that she won't be able to put down. But when it comes to fiction, Amye feels lost. Amye would love to better understand why she might like or dislike a certain fiction title before she picks it up. She's hoping to gain some insight so that she can better tell in advance wh...
Oct 24, 2023•57 min•Ep. 403
Our guest today is looking for immersive, transportive reading experiences that she can get lost in. Ellen Harry, who lives in North Carolina with her girlfriend and beloved pets, loves to travel. But when she's not exploring a new destination, she's equally drawn to adventures on the page, and is always eager to explore new-to-her stories and perspectives. Anne and Ellen chat about stories that deliver a sense of escape and adventure and Anne suggests a few riveting reads that will feed Ellen's...
Oct 17, 2023•58 min•Ep. 402
Seasonal reading means different things to different readers, and today's guest is searching for spine-tingling, scary reads for her fall selections. Jenea Lyles is a full-time graduate student and a devoted horror movie fan. She's happy to be recovering from a reading slump, and right now, she's looking for more stories on the scarier side into her reading life. She's dabbled in reading spine-tingling tales before, but knows there's a lot more out there to explore. Anne will help Jenea assemble...
Oct 10, 2023•49 min•Ep. 401
Today we are celebrating our 400th episode by sharing a collection of your questions, stories, and favorite What Should I Read Next? moments. A few weeks ago, we asked for your input, and our team had such a great time reading through your responses. Today, Anne is joined by Modern Mrs Darcy Co-Host and Contributor Shannan Malone in reading through your submissions one by one and sharing memories, laughs, unexpected discoveries, and more. Thanks so much to each of you who makes it possible for u...
Oct 03, 2023•57 min•Ep. 400
Each of Sonya Dutta Choudhury's three book clubs fills a unique space in her reading life, and today she's joining Anne to chat about her home library, what she's looking for in her books these days, and what she calls the DNA of book clubs. Sonya is a writer, journalist, and former banker who splits her time between Mumbai, India and the Himalayan town of Manali. She's typically reading multiple titles at once, but she doesn't like to feel too regimented in her reading, preferring to keep the d...
Sep 26, 2023•58 min•Ep. 399
After a satisfying summer of reading the twisty thrillers and entertaining books she really enjoys when the temperatures rise, Melanie Steimle is ready to discover some transitional books for the fall reading season. Melanie lives in Utah, where she enjoys cake decorating and her favorite adjacent bookish hobby: keeping close track of her reading in her book journal and associated spreadsheets (and looking forward to her end-of-December book stats review.) While Melanie feels confident about the...
Sep 19, 2023•52 min•Ep. 398
Today's conversation will whet your appetite for a good read, as Anne talks cookbooks and culinary reading with cookbook author and book lover Bri McKoy. In today's show, Anne and Bri talk about the art of reading and writing cookbooks and the kitchen lessons Bri's distilled into her new release, The Cook's Book. They also put a fresh spin on book flights by pairing some favorite novels with their perfect food or drink partners. Listen in and take a look at this delicious genre from a new perspe...
Sep 12, 2023•49 min•Ep. 397
You're invited to experience a taste of our Patreon community! For today's episode, we've selected two recent bonus episodes that our patrons especially enjoyed, and bundled them together for you to hear. Our bonus episodes come in a variety of formats, and today you'll hear examples of two of these: first, we're sharing a recent Industry Insights bonus episode where Anne takes you behind the scenes of the world of bestseller lists, from what they mean and how they're compiled, to why it matters...
Sep 05, 2023•48 min•Ep. 396
Today's guest grew up with a deep love for science fiction and fantasy. While his reading tastes have broadened as an adult, he's still drawn to stories that come with a bit of magic. Sai Sion recently moved from New Orleans to Austin, Texas, where he enjoys his career as an actor and podcaster. He's found that reading helps him to make sense of what's happening in his life off the page, too, and he'd love Anne's help in discovering new reads to match the next chapter of his life journey. He's a...
Aug 29, 2023•59 min•Ep. 395
In what's become a bit of a tradition, members of our team are pairing up on today's episode to share the summer reads we've loved this year and talk about what summer reading means to each of us. From the titles we haven't been able to stop thinking about to the tropes and trends of our summer reading picks, today's episode features nine of our team members doing one of the things we all love most—talking books and reading. Today's episode features an especially long list of books, and you'll f...
Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 394
Today Anne is joined in conversation with Shana Ferguson, a NYC-based stage manager with a particularly bookish concern: she doesn't often feel like a "real" reader. Of course, we think any kind of reader is a "real" reader, so Anne couldn't wait to encourage Shana on her personal reading journey. Shana loves her work backstage, and in her downtime you’ll often find her baking or drinking tea. Sometimes she’ll also have a book in her hands, but as the daughter of dedicated readers, Shana’s strug...
Aug 15, 2023•51 min•Ep. 393
Memoir is a well-loved genre for so many readers, and today Anne is joined by R. Eric Thomas to talk about the wise, sobering, hilarious, and heartbreaking sketches in his own works, as well as some of the memoirs they each love best. You may know R. Eric Thomas from his works Here For It or Congratulations, The Best is Over! (a 2023 Summer Reading Guide pick) which just released today. Anne couldn't stop thinking about this collection of essays, and today she and Eric enjoy a delightful convers...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 392
For many guests, picking three favorite reads is a struggle, but today's guest Annie McCloskey has a unique way of tracking her all-time favorites. Between her beloved book clubs and her well-stocked home library, Annie is quite happy with her reading life. She's been a long-time listener who's always wanted to be on the podcast and today that conversation is happening! Anne and Annie talk about what reading looks like in Annie's life right now, the types of titles she'd love to read more of, an...
Aug 01, 2023•56 min•Ep. 391
Today's guest has a big move on the horizon and is eager to find books that will ease that transition. Nadia Sussman has always lived in New Zealand, but this summer she's moving to Michigan to pursue a master's degree. Nadia's never been to the United States before, and she's eager for reading recommendations that will introduce her to her new community, as well as audiobooks that will keep her entertained on the 17-hour flight from New Zealand to the United States. In today's episode, Anne and...
Jul 25, 2023•48 min•Ep. 390
A long-delayed family trip to Europe doubles as an opportunity to explore the literary landscape of three incredible destinations. Today, Anne and Will are here to tell you all about it. Anne, Will, and their kids recently returned from their visit to England, France, and Spain. In addition to sightseeing, they indulged in some deeply enjoyable literary tourism. Listen in to hear more about their favorite bookstores big and small as well as the authors and titles they enjoyed and discovered alon...
Jul 18, 2023•56 min•Ep. 389
If you've ever felt the weight of a to-be-read list, today's conversation may be just the permission slip your reading life needs. Today Anne's chatting with Chicago-based Daniel Evola. Daniel was an early reader who got a head start on the classics, and while he's still interested in reading a number of "must-read" books, lately he's been enjoying exploring new-to-him titles and authors that deliver fresh perspectives. Daniel hopes that having a better feel for what he's loving in his reading l...
Jul 11, 2023•48 min•Ep. 388
Striking that perfect balance between "serious literature" and light reading can be tricky, and today Anne's talking all about it with guest Jake Sloofman. Jake, an arborist living in Brooklyn, NY, has big reading goals, but sometimes he feels stuck in between the heavy and light reads on his list. He'd love Anne's help to find both weighty literature and frothy “palate cleanser” books that will make reading feel like a vacation. Today's conversation, which you may have heard when it originally ...
Jul 04, 2023•39 min•Ep. 387
Diving into an unfamiliar genre is a great way to expand your reading identity, but it can also feel pretty intimidating. Today, Anne's here to help curious reader Caitlin Moran explore easy entry points for unfamiliar genres. Caitlin lives in the Pacific Northwest with her fiancé, where she enjoys reading along with her book club and finding new titles at her favorite indie bookstores. After being pleasantly surprised by her experience with a few book club choices, she’s curious what else might...
Jun 27, 2023•56 min•Ep. 386
Today's guest has a standing interest in books that deliver a strong sense of atmosphere, and Anne's got some new recommendations to share. Corin Cook lives and works in Rhode Island, where she makes the most of New England's seasonal rhythms. When summer rolls around, she’s usually devouring books that help her experience the season more fully, and this summer, Corin has her sights set on Europe. Anne couldn't wait to talk to Corin about her immersive Summer of European Reading project. Corin's...
Jun 20, 2023•47 min•Ep. 385
Today's guest grew up reading fiction for fun, but as she got older, she felt the pressure to read for work and self-improvement. Today, Effie Alofoje-Carr joins Anne to talk about finding her way back to the whimsical reads she loved when she was younger. As a Michigan-based mom & wife juggling a consulting career and a business, Effie doesn't want to entirely close the book on professional reading: she appreciates how these types of titles support her professional growth. But, Effie's ready to...
Jun 13, 2023•59 min•Ep. 384
